


Asgard's Wall

by sunsetrose20



Series: Once Noble [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:08:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23263717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunsetrose20/pseuds/sunsetrose20
Summary: Another take on the Myth of the Giant Builder, told from the point of view of an Asgardian citizen.
Relationships: Loki/Svadilfari (Marvel)
Series: Once Noble [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1672765
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	Asgard's Wall

**Author's Note:**

> So... I was thinking: wouldn't it be interesting to hear the story from an Æsir who doesn't know Loki? And this is the result.
> 
> Thoughts, ideas, comments, and constructive criticism are always welcome.

When the announcement that the second prince had returned reached the people, we rejoiced. However, when the details were later disclosed, we were revolted.

Asgard was a realm that, as far as any of us were concerned, had been there, golden and grandiose, from the beginning of time, and the same could be said of the royal family. We understood, clearly, that the royal bloodline had not always been called the House of Odin, but it had been called so for as long as we could remember, perhaps even long before we were born. We, the commoners, do not have as long a lifespan as the nobles.

Which is why, despite the dangers it posed, we felt honored to witness the rebuilding of Asgard’s wall. The war had been long as had been the list of casualties, their souls now feasting in Valhalla, as the need for fortification proved. Many of us were forced to stay behind, for we were not sufficiently trained. We were displeased to say the least. Nonetheless, the feeling was quickly replaced by delight at being able to live through such an important period of Asgard’s history.

How we regret it now. The shame that has befallen us…

Asgard’s victory no longer seems like something to be celebrated.

A smith presented himself at the palace not long after the war was over. He demanded the hand of Freya in marriage, the sun and moon as well, in exchange for completing his work in three seasons. We all thought he was delusional, and no doubt the gods thought so too, for they agreed that the smith's demands would be fulfilled if he completed the wall in a single winter. His only aid would be his horse.

It was not surprising, at least not to me, when we discovered it had been the second prince's idea, which meant it was not more surprising when all of Asgard demanded the prince's blood if he did not find a solution. None of us were willing to part from Freya, less so because it had been Loki's counsel, someone who we all well knew was dishonorable and untrustworthy, what had taken us here.

Perhaps that was our mistake. To allow the second prince to take responsibility for his actions. Was keeping Freya really worth this humiliation? To imagine what the other realms must be saying about us… it sends shivers down my spine.

Only three days remained before the end of winter, and the wall was almost finished, almost impenetrable… Asgard despaired. We were privy to the conditions of the deal with the builder; we knew the gods had sworn an oath which ensured the smith’s safety for as long as he was working in Asgard. There was nothing we could do against the builder, but the horse… the horse was another matter.

We noticed that the horse, Svaðilfari it was called, was doing almost twice as much work as the builder, and this did not escape the notice of the second prince. Hence, he targeted the horse lest his life be forfeit.

We cared not how he did it as long as this problem was fixed. But, we should have.

There were rumors brought by the palace's servants that the prince had shifted into a mare in order to distract the stallion from the duties imposed by its master, and there was only one way in which a mare may distract a stallion, but we dared not believe it. Someone from the noble House of Odin would not dare stain their honor in such a way. That was what we had believed.

Without the horse's aid, the builder, a giant himself no less, despaired in the knowledge that he would not finish the wall in time. The gods were then able to pay the giant how they deemed he deserved, which was nothing more and nothing less than a fatal blow from Mjölnir that shattered the giant's skull into tiny pieces.

We rejoiced. We feasted. We celebrated another of Asgard’s victories.

We thought the return of the second prince would further fuel our merry spirits. And it did.

For a day, it did.

Loki had returned, and we all wished he had not.

The Trickster had not returned as a man, or even as a person, but as a mare, trapped in the form of a beast, chained by the horse's get.

None of us, absolutely none of us, blamed the royal family for trying to keep the affair quiet. If Loki would not leave, it would at least have been a mercy to keep him locked away. Anything to keep such disgrace from tarnishing the Golden Realm. But, the stable boy had not been able to keep his mouth closed. And who could blame him in the face of horror…

The news had spread like wildfire. A prince of Asgard… pregnant with a horse. Had it not been bad enough to dedicate himself to the womanly arts? To not be a true warrior but instead worm out of honorable fights through lies and deceit? What need had the Trickster to bring further shame to the realm? Could he not, for once in his life, have thought of someone else than himself and kept his deprived ways to himself?

My stomach lurched, knowing that revulsion clawed at the throats of us all. The horrified murmur that had existed on the market the day the stable boy had screamed the Trickster’s… state to anyone who would hear him had soon turned to perturbed, aggrieved shouts. Being of Asgard would never invoke pride in us as it once had. Not with someone like Loki as part of the royal family.

Now, as I try to drink myself into oblivion, I wonder… no, I fear for the fate of the once noble House of Odin.

**Author's Note:**

> Anyway, I should be reposting the rest of the series sometime soon.


End file.
